Just recently we attended Midpex 01, the ABPS bi-annual stamp show near Coventry, aimed at bringing together a large number of societies. We looked after the Cinderella Stamp Club stand and, as usual, we were provided with six display frames, in which we put a wide range of Cinderella material from our collections. It was a great day, with opportunity to meet old friends and plenty of other collectors with similar interests.
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Type 1, 1893, sheet position top left with 10 centimes value;
Type 2, known used February 1893, sheet position top left, no value;
Type 3, known used May and June 1893 - no sheet position nor value |
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Nearly at the end of the day, we were visited by Jim Crompton who spotted on our display three pages of the New Caledonia 1893 Military Franchise local stamps. Jim told us that these were also featured on a website, and indeed he sent us colour printouts of the specific pages the following day. This reminded us of the fun we had attempting to research the subject when we first mounted the pages for display.
New Caledonia was declared a colony of France in 1853. The population was approximately 70,000 natives, excluding the Penal Colony, which was founded in 1864 and maintained until 1896. French troops were garrisoned there from 1860, not only for defensive purposes, but also to provide engineering services to enhance the country. From 1885, the troops were granted a reduced rate for homeward bound mail of 15 centimes, instead of the normal 25 centimes rate. In 1893, it was decided to produce and issue a Military Frank stamp valued at 10c, which was intended to be added to the envelope along with the 15c New Caledonian postage stamp.
The first design was of the French Tricolour against a white background, with the stamp carrying the value '10 Centimes' and with a number in the top left corner. Stamps were printed in three colours using three lithographed stones. The sheet size was 25 (5 x 5), with each stamp indicating its position within the sheet by the number in the top left corner - number 21 as above. These first stamps are believed never to have been used, due to the fact that as Military Franks, they should not carry a face value.
Accordingly, a second type of stamp was produced of very similar design, but clearer in its layout, and also with no face value. The legend 'Correspondce Mre' was now expanded out to 'Correspondance Militaire' so that there could be no confusion in identifying the stamps as Military Franks. A study of known covers (very few indeed) by Fletcher, Howard-White and Crompton (London Philatelist, 1965, pp 82-87, 114-118, and 145-148) has indicated that these Type 2 stamps were used in February 1893.
A third type was produced that had no sheet position indicated, but again using three lithographic stones, one for each colour. The colouring is quite different, with gold ink giving a distinctive appearance. Again, this stamp has been recorded used on cover between May and June 1893.
The fourth issue is of a completely different nature, in that the design is of crossed flags. This is the commonest stamp, but still scarce. It is printed in one colour from a single lithographic stone. The study of known covers indicate that this stamp was issued in September 1893, and again we have the sheet position number indicated in a truncated triangle between the flags. The legend has also changed from 'Nile Caledonie' to 'Nile Caledonie et Dépendences'. |
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